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Gustav Wood (Young Guns): We've got a good album under our belts and we just want people to hear it.
 On July 12 Young Guns have released their debut album "All Our Kings Are Dead". They've got sold-out shows all over Great Britain, they've shared the stage with many rock stars and got amazing reviews from the press. Young Guns are the future of rock music. Bizarre Music got to talk with Gustav Wood and asked him about the album, the tour and plans for the future.
1) Hey! First of all, congratulations with the debut album! Tell us, how do you feel about "All Our Kings Are Dead” and what emotions have you got when you think "we’ve recorded our debut album”?
- Thanks! I'm really proud of how the album ended up. We put so much energy and effort into writing and recording it, and I hope and think that the care and attention to detail we put into making it comes across when you listen to the record. When I think about the fact that we've managed to get our band to a stage where we have a recorded debut record it makes me feel proud, but I still can't quite believe it! There have definitely been times when I thought this would never happen.
2) How did the recording process go? What was special about it?
-Well, first and foremost it was a LOT of hard work. It was definitely the most stressful thing I've ever been involved with, and there were equally as many moments of panic and frustration as there were moments of happiness and excitement. We were lucky enough to have a producer who, like us, wanted to make it something special. We definitely owe a lot to him and his focus. There were many many late nights, some crazy 30+ hour shifts, but overall it was just a really great time, and it felt like we were doing something special. It was definitely a learning experience for us, and I can't wait to take that experience into doing our 2nd album.
3) The album is released via your own label Live Forever. Tells us more about this label.
-well, we only set it up so that we could self release, so right now it's purely for that purpose, we don't currently have any plans to expand beyond that and release any other bands material (though we do like the idea!). We just wanted to retain the creative control we've had up until now, and if we'd signed a deal with a big label  we'd have been subject to their opinion of what out band should be, and that's just not in our best interests. We have a fantastic bunch of people working with us and wanted things to stay as they were, so we're releasing and PIAS are distributing it for us. They're great and have been so supportive of us thus far. We're very lucky.
4) Young Guns have toured quite a lot. Could you share any especially memorable stories from the road?
- my favourite memories are actually from our most recent tour we did, back in April. Looking out at the crowds singing the words back louder than us was just the best feeling in the world. In Birmingam we got the crowd on stage for the end of our last song and just everybody singing together and enjoying the moment together was really special. Also, playing The Roundhouse 2 nights in a row on the Kerrang! Tour was amazing, especially for me as it's so close to where I grew up. A huge experience was playing our first Arena, the o2 in London recently supporting Bon Jovi. That was such a surreal experience I dont think I'll ever fully comprehend that we actually did it, it was like playing on the moon, such a vast black space in front of us! There are lots of drunken anecdotes I could tell but theres enough of them around already, ha!
5) How does it usually feel like – to present brand new songs live to the audience at the gigs?
-it's always a mix of nervousness and excitement. You are so used to playing the same songs live, that playing new ones feels like starting again in some ways! It's great though, when you feel it click and you play well, it's so exciting because it's new and you haven't done it 10,000 times before like the other ones!
6) You’ve performed at both: big and small venues. Which of these do you like to play most of all?
-I love doing both but for different reasons. With small shows, it's possible to create an atmosphere of intimacy and connecting with the audience is a lot easier, whereas with larger shows often it's a more remote experience. Having said that, large shows give you the chance to create more of a spectacle and can be more comfortable to perform in due to often having more space on stage. Looking out and seeing so thousands of people is an awe-inspiring sight. Daunting, but incredible too!
7) How were you introduced to music in general (listening and playing) and what were your musical influences?
-well, for me personally it was my mum and my older brother who exposed me to music from a young age. I loved Michael Jackson, Prince, The Police etc because of my mum, and when I was 11/12 I started to pick up my brothers musical tastes, which were Nirvana, Green Day, The Offspring etc in the early nineties. I was in one or two bad metal bands at uni, but didn't really start properly playing music until I met the boys I'm in a band with now five or six years ago.
8) What special trait of Young Guns that makes you different from other bands can you personally single out?
-well, I would say that just thinking about writing simple accessible rock music and focussing on good song writing rather than fitting into any current fashion has helped us to stand out. We never thought about what other bands were doing or worried about sounding like anything other than ourselves. It's worked for us so far.
 9) What is the best thing about being in Young Guns?
-being able to play music full time with my best friends. We're not making money, but we're self sufficient, and right now that's enough. Getting to go to new places and do things that I'd otherwise never have the chance to do, and make new friends along the way. I'm as surprised as anyone that it's worked out like this so far, but I'm not complaining! I'm blessed.
10) What is the band’s motto and life philosophy?
- just to work hard and not get distracted. This is a tough industry, and we want to be in this for the long haul, so we're just trying to remain focussed and not get too distracted or pay too much attention to what people say or don't say about us!
11) Thanks for the interview! Share your plans for the future, please.
-very simply, just to tour as much as we can, and get our music out across the world if we can, one person at a time if need be! We've got a good album under our belts and we just want people to hear it.
Young Guns MySpace
Bizarre Music thanks Mark James (Devil PR) for his help in the organisation of the interview
Interview: Olga PolomoshnovaPhoto courtesy: Young Guns(c) Bizarre Music
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